Ponto de Vista

Jami Masjid, views. I loved the space, the light, the silence as soon as I took my shoes off and entered the sahn (courtyard). And as we neared the musalla I think I gasped out loud. Its proportions are graceful, as you can see, but the carving is exquisite. The grace of the hypostyle hall pillars and the qubba (dome) of the mihrab all embellished with intricate designs and motifs made this place absolutely magical. Then I saw the calligraphy along the peripheral walls. I am still struggling to find words to do justice to its beauty. Nipun, thank you. #blog #latergram #travel #Gujarat #architecture #India #wanderlust

A post shared by chhavi sachdev (@chhavi_sachdev) on Oct 12, 2016 at 11:44pm PDT

I’m sure you’ve looked at an exhibit somewhere and thought, “Hmm, if I remember my history lessons right, around this time, this war was happening in X country.” Or if you’re like me, “I wish I could remember anything at all from my boring history lessons. I wonder what was happening in India and China and the Ottoman empire when this painter was capturing this!” (more…)

Throwback to four years ago. Google helpfully told me that Istanbul is where Sunanda and I were on this day in 2012. This is the inside of the Yeni Cami at Eminönü … (more…)

Funny stuff in Kreutzberg

Grumpy cat had a message, I was reminded that I cannot wait for the Ab Fab movie, and in dry German fashion, a witty name for a minimalist coffee shop – all in the Kreutzberg area of fun restaurants and a gazillion coffee shops that all smelled good and all seemed full even on a Monday afternoon.

#Berlin #absolutelyfabulous #grumpycat #cafe #street #blog Shared via Instagram http://ift.tt/2ci3VEO and IFFT

Perfect weather came back later in my Stockholm week, but by Day 2, Sunday, the clouds were out. Monday was chilly. Tuesday was damp and cold. These photos are from Sunday and Monday. World Water Week officially started at 9 a.m. on Sunday (really) and after several panels, seminars, and plenaries, I went on a Bridges of Stockholm boat tour, from which I caught sunset over the water and viewed a lot of “Functional Architecture,” which I thought was quite nifty with their floor-to-ceiling windows. On a side note, I don’t know if the tour guide made that up or was translating something (more…)

Stockholm presented a face that was picture postcard perfect. The weather was warmer than my app had predicted, the sun was out, the sky was cloudless and the waters bluer than I’ve seen anywhere in a long time. Everything was welcoming, everything seemed to whisper, “Stay, stay, this is where you belong.” I didn’t fall for it (see what I did there?) Good weather is always followed by ridiculous cold. (And it was.) Anyway, I got in at about 1:30 on Saturday afternoon — sans luggage, that’s a different story — with the rest of my afternoon free and a rumbling tummy, so I hoofed it up the street, maneouvering sort of by instinct, kinda by map, away from Vasagatan (more…)

A touch of #Portugal in Siolim, Goa – we're in a 350 year old heritage house. There are two rectangular step wells on the property, blooming plants, massage, yoga, Blackie the dog + two turtles. The swimming pool is gorgeous and there's high tea to look forward to. I can't wait to unwind. It's been a long, busy month and I've been racing against the clock with work, launching a new podcast (episode 2 is out today @LSDcast) and then the Goa project #tgp2016, where I was co-managing a track on interactive media. Today is the first day I've had time to breathe! #blog #travel #Heritage #relax #goa

A post shared by chhavi sachdev (@chhavi_sachdev) on Feb 20, 2016 at 11:35pm PST

But, first a nap.

Oh, and all the rooms are named after places, our room is Damão, the Portuguese name for Daman.
#blog #travel #Heritage #relax #goa Shared via Instagram http://ift.tt/1oTPQle and IFFT

Sigiriya – mom and mausi and their dodgy knees made it to the top. I, of course, made it to the top — *and halfway up and down* TWICE! Now we're stepified (@achla mausi's joke) Clockwise from the right – the narrow gangway and spiral staircase to see cave painting that I can't understand how the monks reached, plus the mirror wall; the view from the top of the path we came up; us at the pinnacle with the ruins behind us. #blog

A post shared by chhavi sachdev (@chhavi_sachdev) on Feb 10, 2016 at 8:22pm PST

Sigiriya. Monastery turned fortress/palace turned monastery –1,200 stairs of which I did several twice (don’t ask) and I have to wonder, how athletic were the monks and courtiers who did this multiple times a day? Or did they just lower baskets down for their groceries? Then I end up wondering about how they found footholds to paint these beautiful (very non-celibate) pictures on the sheer rock face.

Clockwise from the right:
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My aunt and my mother at the Jetavana stupa in Anuradhapura earlier today. We saw … 6 giant stupas today. And now we're stupa-fied! This is the largest in Ceylon, and *maybe* the world, according to the information on site. I don't know what it takes to be sure, but hopefully they'll find out soon? The suspense must be killing them! Okay, I'm tired. I'll stop with the lame jokes. Anyway, it's interesting how different these are in form and size from Sanchi. The old city of Anuradhapura is massive and beautiful. I wanted to plant myself among the verdant overrun ruins and nap. Or read. Or both. #blog

A post shared by chhavi sachdev (@chhavi_sachdev) on Feb 8, 2016 at 7:11am PST

Photos from Hathikucchi, one of the four earliest/main Buddhist sites in the country dating back to the 3rd century BCE. We had the entire site to ourselves as we wandered through the ruins and climbed steep rock-hewn stairs. It was stunningly pretty, totally clean, and so quiet save the call of cicadas, the buzzing of a swarm of bees near one of sites (suspended above us in formation, holding steady, you could almost believe they were motionless), and the hoop-hoop cry of coppersmiths somewhere in the foliage. Oh and monkeys and kingfishers, pheasants, turtles, skinks, puppies, and kitties. The site covers more than 300 acres and obviously we couldn't see all the remains, but of did see inscriptions, fragmented stupas, viharas, and niches in the rock caves. No signage all all, but well worth the visit. #trees #nature #SriLanka #wanderlust #travel #beauty #blog

A post shared by chhavi sachdev (@chhavi_sachdev) on Feb 7, 2016 at 5:05am PST